Bahrain’s Roqaya Al Gassra competes in the heats of the women’s 100m race at the 15th Asian Games held in Doha, Qatar, in this December 8, 2006 file photo. Roqaya won the bronze in the final.
DOHA: Bahrain’s retired athlete Roqaya Al Gassra has urged young girls in the region to target competing at the Olympic Games.
Remembered for becoming the first woman athlete to represent Bahrain at the Olympic Games - by taking part in the 100m at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens - Roqaya now wants the sport to become popular among young girls.
“My most memorable moment (as an athlete) came when I took part in the Olympic Games. It was a dream come true,” Ruqaya said as she watched track and field athletes in action on day two of the GCC Championships at Khalifa Stadium yesterday.
“I hope we can have more girls take part in athletics,” the 30-year-old said while urging authorities to have a championship for girls that could be run alongside events such the on-going GCC Athletics Championships.
She said men and women competing at one event would give any championship the prominence it would ‘deserve’.
Ruqaya is one of many former athletes to be honoured by Qatar Athletics Federation (QAF) during the course of the three-day championships which will conclude today.
“I am honoured that Qatar Athletics Federation has remembered the past athletes,” she said. “It is a good idea to have gathering of former athletes and officials from the track and field world to be present in one place,” she said.
Ruqaya hoped she would see more girls from the GCC countries reaching the Olympic Games in the future.
“I didn’t win any medals but I was very pleased to realise my ream,” she said. “I hope young girls (in the Middle East) get good experience and reach the top. If I see a girl from any of the GCC country reaching the Olympic Games, I would be extremely happy,” she said.
Ruqaya won medals at the 2006 Asian Games (gold in the 200m and a bronze in the 100m) and went on to run at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2009 World Championships.
The tall athlete - who would compete in a head scarf and her body fully covered - was her country’s flag-bearer at the 2008 Olympic Games opening ceremony in Beijing. She announced her international retirement in 2009.
When asked about her passion, Roqaya said the love for track and field took root very early in her life.
“I used to be a good mover and runner. I would be up and about all the time. That’s how I started liking athletics,” she said. “I was full of energy all the time. So I pushed myself into athletics when I started to grow up as girl,” she added. THE PENINSULA
